Thursday, October 29, 2009

Sleeping with Skeletons by Doralynn Kennedy

Sleeping with Skeletons by Doralynn KennedyPublisher: The Wild Rose PressGenre: Suspense/Mystery, ContemporaryLength: Full (257 pages)Heat: SensualRating: Best BookReviewed by Larkspur

Former CIA operative Margaret Garrison is not the woman she appears to be when she arrives in rural Ireland, hoping to find a quiet respite from running for her life. The last thing she needs is to catch the eye of Aidan Grimes, the wildly popular Irish actor filming the movie Jane Eyre in Ballyrick.

Rumored to have broken a thousand hearts, Aidan is also a man of many surprises. The very secrecy that shrouds Margaret compels him to want to know more about her, which inadvertently alerts her enemies to her location and threatens not only Margaret’s life, but those of the people around her.

Between Aidan, his father, and a little girl desperately in need of a mother, Margaret discovers a life she has always dreamed of but never dared hoped for. But with the skeletons from her past drawing nearer each day, can love triumph over evil, or is it all just a myth?

I have to start off this review by saying that this was the most excitement I’ve experienced in a novel in a long time. Ms Kennedy gives us an unlikely pair as our hero and heroine in this wonderful read, Margaret a former CIA black ops agent and Aiden a popular Irish actor. Can they find love? Is happiness possible? The author takes us on a frightening journey deep into the psyche of a trained killer in this dramatic psychological thriller as we learn about the skeletons she sleeps with. But who can she trust? Will they survive?

Ms. Kennedy’s plot/storyline takes us page by chilling page through one woman’s incredible life from loss to torture and betrayal to revenge and finally to redemption and joy. Set in the majestic backdrop of Ireland she works magic with her amazing descriptive dialogue showing her readers with her words dramatic Atlantic seascapes and breathtaking landscapes as she takes us through the wild beauty of Ireland. While in other scenes across the sea we’re shown glimpses of Margaret’s once captor as he tracks her and of her life before. She shows us all her secrets, her disappointments, her failures and her hopes. She is an incredible storyteller. Her characters are unforgettable from the sweet Katie to the enigmatic Aiden and the complex Margaret. Her supporting characters are no less memorable from the pure evil of the villain to the exciting operatives and even her cameo characters are well defined and interesting. The romance between Margaret and Aiden is spicy and sensual yet sweet and heartwarming, and as the bond between them forms the past is revealed and all her secrets come back to haunt her. And it’s not just a love story between a man and a woman, but the birth of a family too.

Doralynn Kennedy gives us page after page of an edge of your seat, nail biting, heart racing read. It’s a roller coaster ride of emotions that doesn’t forget that it’s foremost and absolutely a romance novel. So if you like the feel of your heart thumping erratically and you enjoy crying one minute, laughing the next and then cringing with your next breath and if you like your romance on the sizzle burner then this is definitely the read for you! Kudos to Ms Kennedy for this amazing can’t put it down must read!

RATING EXPLANATION:

1 Star— At this time, we at LASR do not post these reviews. If the book was boring, badly edited, poorly written, had little or no plot, stilted dialogue, and/or unsympathetic characters, we will decline the review.

2 Stars— Not wonderful, but tolerable. There may be some minor editing glitches but not enough to stop you reading. Not a wall-banger, but nothing you'd re-read. This is a book you would borrow from the library - not buy - and never check out again.

3 Stars— Good. Mostly enjoyable. You made it through and didn't consider it a waste of time or money. The story was strong enough or the conflict tight enough, so even when the book faltered, it was able to draw you back in and keep you. There's a chance you'll recommend it to a friend, but it wouldn't go on your keeper shelf.

4 Stars— Very Good. You're glad you were the one who got to review the book. You would probably buy it and would definitely recommend it to your friends. You liked the characters and the plot. The writing style was good and the editing clean.

5 Stars— Great! You would definitely buy this book. You would definitely recommend it to your friends. You really loved the characters and the plot and would consider looking for this authors back list or making her an autobuy. The writing and editing were superb.

LASR Best Book - For a book or story that is truly exceptional. You think about it when you're not reading it. You wonder what happens to the characters when you finish. You would absolutely buy everything else this author had to offer. The highest praise - and reserved for only a few.

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